NFL Wild Card Round: Seahawks vs 49ers Betting Odds

NFC West Rivals Face Off In Unlikely Quarterback Battle

Thanks to the Detroit Lions‘ stunning win over the Green Bay Packers (and their own overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams) last Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks edged into the 2023 NFL playoffs after looking like a huge longshot early in the season. Their reward? A road game against the division rival San Francisco 49ers, who ended the regular season on a 10-game winning streak and are firing on all cylinders with rookie quarterback Brock Purdy leading the way.

It’s going to be very tough for Seattle to advance past the Wild Card Round, as the Seahawks vs 49ers betting odds have San Francisco favored by 9.5 points. The line did open with the 49ers favored by 10 points but it’s still clear that San Francisco should comfortably win this one. The over/under has moved down a tad from the 43.5 point open to 42.5 points, while San Francisco is a -500 moneyline favorite — that hasn’t moved much during the week.

This game kicks off the NFL standings wild card 2022 and it features a fascinating quarterback NFL matchup between the rookie Purdy — who was taken with the last pick in April’s draft — and Geno Smith, whose journey from high-pick bust to little-used backup to 30-touchdown starter has been equally incredible and improbable.

Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers:

Game: Seahawks 9-8 vs Francisco 49ers 13-4
Date, Time & Streaming:
Location: Levi’s Stadium; Santa Clara, California
Streaming: Live Stream Sports[/box]

Can The Quarterbacks Keep Rolling?

You’d probably have to do a fair bit of research to find a NFL playoff game headlined by not one, but two starting quarterbacks who were this unlikely to be leading NFL teams into the postseason. First, there’s Purdy, who began the season as the 49ers’ No. 3 quarterback and, since taking over due to Jimmy Garoppolo’s season-ending foot injury, has done nothing but win.

San Francisco has scored 30+ points in five of its last six games with Purdy tossing 13 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions. To be fair, it helps to have elite weapons like Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle and others, but Purdy has played smart football while maximizing the talent and coaching around him.

‘Geno Smith, on the other hand, has been great all season for Seattle. He led the league in completion percentage and threw for over 4,200 yards, helping to turn the Seahawks from a likely contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to an intriguing playoff team.’

The million-dollar question is which quarterback will finally falter after a storybook regular NFL season? The Seahawks vs 49ers betting odds expect it to be Geno, which is reasonable considering that the Seahawks only managed to score 20 total points against the 49ers in two losses this year. Also, San Francisco boasts the top scoring and yardage defense in football. It’ll be a lot easier for Purdy, who has better skill-position players and gets to face a mediocre Seattle defense.

McCaffrey Could be The Key

There was some (fair) criticism levied at the 49ers when they made a huge splash in October — while just 3-3 — to trade for Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers. However, with how the former Stanford star has performed in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, those questions have all been quieted. It turns out that the versatile running back — who has gained 1,210 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns in his 11 games with the 49ers — was a perfect fit.

He should have another big game this Saturday, either through the air or on the ground. Seattle’s defense gives up a lot of yards and a lot of points in general but it’s especially bad against the run. The Seahawks allowed the third-most rushing yards in the NFL this season and 26th in yards allowed per carry. Meanwhile, San Francisco is in the top-ten in all major rushing categories on offense and features the explosive McCaffrey, who has excelled behind the 49ers’ strong offensive line and Shanahan’s play-calling. The NFL Wild Card scoreboard likely will feature plenty of San Francisco points.

Metcalf and Lockett Could Give Seahawks a Shot

If the Seahawks are going to have any chance in this game, they’re going to need their top two pass-catchers — wide receivers D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett — to put up big numbers. It’s not particularly common for one team to have two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season, especially when that team doesn’t have a truly elite passing offense, but Metcalf (1,048 yards) and Lockett (1,033 yards) NFL odds were able to achieve that in 2022.

Geno is clearly comfortable at getting both of them the ball but he probably won’t have much time to do so with Nick Bosa (18.5 sacks) bearing down on him. San Francisco doesn’t have an incredible secondary or non-Bosa pass rush, but the 49ers do have an pair of dominant linebackers in Dre Greenlaw and Fred Warner which further complicates things — especially routes over the middle.

Both Metcalf and Lockett need to win their individual battles on the outside — and Seattle’s offensive line needs to hold up — so Geno can find them in space. Kenneth Walker III will be critical too but the Seahawks’ offense really starts and ends with Metcalf and Lockett: If they can get going early (and Geno can get them the ball), then Seattle could buck the Seahawks vs 49ers betting odds for a major upset.

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